Sunday, January 29, 2012

I thought I would take a walk around the old military bunker near Amherst/Hadley that belonged to the Strategic Air Command back in the 50s and 60s. When my Dad was in the Navy in the 60s he once gave a fellow serviceman a ride up to the Notch. Although Dad was in the Navy, he could only go as far as the gate, where he bid adieu to his fellow serviceman. This area was supposedly classified (although everyone in the area knew about it.) Left, Dad in his Navy photo from the early 60s.

I parked at the Notch Visitor Center on Rt. 116 and crossed the street and walked north a bit to Military Rd.

A fence restricts access to the site, but there is a well blazed path around the perimeter.

From the Center of Land Use Interpretation: This 44,000 square-foot underground bunker, in the rolling hills next to Hampshire College, was built in 1956 as a regional control center by the Strategic Air Command (SAC), which operated a bomber base nearby in Westover. The three story building features a self-contained water supply and electrical generation system, a cavernous "war room" with a glassed-in balcony, and accommodations for up to 300 people. In 1973, as SAC centralized its command centers in Nebraska and Colorado.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston moved in and used it as an emergency back-up facility, and for records storage, along with New England Telephone and the New York Federal Reserve. The bunker was put up for sale for $250,000 in 1992, and was bought by nearby Amherst College, which uses it as a book depository and for archival storage.

Close by, there are concrete access areas that I assume are tunnels leading to the bunker.

There are several of these concrete structures nearby.

Waking north, there are several paths that lead away from the bunker.

The paths lead to what I believe to be Amherst Reservoir, which appears to be offline.

Hornets know how to build.

Looks like some ice fisherman left their marks.

As we've had some rain lately, this small brook was making some noise.

This is another pond a bit further north.

Author takes notes. "Good place for a hot summer dip."

Path eventually leads out to W. Bay Road.

Not much ice. Yay!

A trailer next to the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation building. We like Smokey. Gotta light?

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A nice mild winter day had me thinking of walking up a mountain. Mount Holyoke is close by. Let's go!

Started out on Mountain Road and Rt. 47 in Hockanum, Hadley.

This house on Mountain Road is certainly a "fixer upper." Doesn't look like there is any electricity connected. That's a plus for me.

One room schoolhouse across the street.

Got to this point from the road. Hmm. Should I take the trail or continue up the road?

Trail!

How bad can it be?

Well, turned out pretty bad. I was able to get past a pretty icy stretch only to turn the corner on a very precarious situation. Solid ice with water flowing over, a pretty steep grade and no footing on the left or right for about 50 ft. There was no turning back. Yikes! Take it slow, I kept telling myself.

Finally arrive on the south side, where the ice and snow were pretty much gone.

Author thankful to be able to tell the tale.

Not a big climb, but with that icy stretch, it took me a long time.

Views are still closed from the deck.

Deck and the structure beneath seem to be getting worse.

Isn't there some kind of grant the DCR can turn to for restoration help?

Skinner park.

In memory of those who fell here. On May 27, 1944 a U.S. Army Air Force B24-J from Westover crashed on Mount Holyoke. This memorial is dedicated to the crew who died.

View north east toward UMass.

A nice place to have a snack.

Looking north toward Northampton.

Time to go back. I think I'll take the road down.

Mini snowman on a post. He looks to be praying for colder weather.

Back to the bottom to check out items at the lost and found. Scarf, hat and lip gloss.

That morning, officers were called to Peter Pan at 2 a.m. and found a man on the sidewalk with a stab wound to his arm. He had been assaulted elsewhere and called police from the bar, the only open business on the street at the time, McMahon said.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Taking the advice of friends I set out to Russell to visit Noble View, which is part of the Appalachian Mountain Club. The mountaintop, around 1,100 ft., boasts great views of the Pioneer Valley east to Mount Wachusett. The trails are very well marked and pass through several abandoned farm fields. There are also gurgling brooks, old cellar holes and stonewalls along the way. Camping is available and there are also modernized cottages for rent.

There are several cottages available. All with great views of the Valley.

Have a rest on an old tractor seat.

Hazy view of downtown Springfield.

North cottage.

Bath house.

Water pump outside Albert Noble house.

Looks like some old stove parts.

I started out down Laurel Lane on the way down to Pitcher Brook.

Trails are nicely marked. Maps are available.

Ashley Cellar Hole.

Decided to take a left, cross the brook and head around Border trail.

Vernal pool.

Lots of leaves made the trail hard to see. But the route was easy to navigate by following the yellow marks.

By checking the map I could see Spring Trail would take me right back up to Noble View. It was only 1/3 of a mile, but a challenging climb.

Finally! Made it to the top.

Entrance to Spring Trail.

Gowdy Cellar Hole.

View to the east toward Springfield.

The cottages.

Albert Noble House built in 1831.

A tired, hungry hiker! Maybe I'll come to snowshoe later this winter. And camp in the spring.

Off The Shelf: The Finest Hours by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman

From Booklist: In a 1952 nor’easter, the distress of two ships off Cape Cod initiated a dramatic Coast Guard operation recounted here by coauthors Tougias and Sherman. Both vessels were World War II surplus, cheaply built, unwisely kept in service, and broken in two by the storm. All four halves floated, for the moment, and the authors’ narrative accordingly tracks four separate search-and-rescue efforts that form the complete story. The most prominent, in the press at the time and in official honors conferred afterward, concerned one motorized lifeboat, a puny 36 feet long and manned by four men, dispatched to do battle with the maelstrom’s towering waves. This is the seascape of The Perfect Storm, and the authors do justice to the peril in a tight account of the action. Plotting the course of CG36500, the utilitarian name of the lifeboat captained by Bernie Webber (interviewed for this book), Tougias and Sherman reach their peak of tension in the sink-or-swim moments when mariners abandoned ship and chanced their lives on their rescuers’ skill and bravery. An excellent entry in the disaster-at-sea genre. --Gilbert Taylor

A collision of memories, time and space

Our focus is on Western Massachusetts. Our postings are mostly of common images that folks might come across in their everyday journeys. Wall graffiti, lampposts, ticket booths, street scenes, wildlife, forests and discarded objects are regular themes.
We started blogging with a focus on the history of our families and how the places they have lived evolved over time. We are most interested in how the past and present collide and launching the reader into a place where memories of prior experiences and places mingle with their everyday lives.
-- Bob Genest